Romans 1:24 kjv

Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

Romans 1:24 nkjv

Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves,

Romans 1:24 niv

Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.

Romans 1:24 esv

Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,

Romans 1:24 nlt

So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other's bodies.

Romans 1 verses

Romans 1 24 Meaning

Romans 1:24 declares that God, in His righteous judgment, allowed humanity to fully experience the natural and divinely ordained consequences of their wilful rebellion. Due to their persistent suppression of truth, idolatry, and refusal to honor Him, He judicially "gave them up" to pursue the corrupt desires originating from their own hearts, leading specifically to impurity and the mutual dishonoring of their bodies through sexual immorality. This highlights the direct link between spiritual rebellion and moral depravity.

Romans 1 24 Context

Romans 1:24 is the initial articulation of God's judicial response to humanity's widespread sinfulness, following Paul's opening statement on God's wrath revealed against ungodliness (Rom 1:18). This verse is part of Paul's comprehensive indictment of the Gentile world's sin (Rom 1:18-32), serving to demonstrate humanity's universal need for God's righteousness revealed through faith in Christ.

The context immediately preceding this verse (Rom 1:19-23) explains that humanity, though having clear revelation of God through creation, refused to acknowledge Him, honor Him, or give thanks. Instead, they suppressed the truth, became futile in their thinking, darkened their hearts, and exchanged the glorious immortal God for created idols—a fundamental spiritual rebellion. Romans 1:24 describes the first step in God's judicial handing over (paralleled in Rom 1:26 and Rom 1:28), a consequence directly flowing from this foundational idolatry and rebellion. This serves as a strong polemic against pagan beliefs that intertwined worship of lesser deities with practices that defiled the human body, revealing that such "worship" inevitably leads to moral decay rather than enlightenment.

Romans 1 24 Word analysis

• Therefore (διὸ - dio): A strong logical connector. It signifies a consequence, indicating that what follows is a direct result or divine reaction to the preceding actions described in Romans 1:18-23 – humanity's suppression of truth and worship of creation rather than the Creator.
• God gave them up (παρέδωκεν αὐτοὺς ὁ θεὸς - paredōken autous ho theos):
  • gave them up (παρέδωκεν - paredōken): Aorist active indicative of paradidōmi, meaning "to hand over," "to deliver up," "to surrender." This is a definitive, decisive, and authoritative judicial act by God. It signifies His removal of the restraining influence of His grace, allowing humanity to follow their own sinful course. It's not abandonment in the sense of no longer caring, but a permitting of self-chosen consequences.
  • them: Refers to the "ungodly and unrighteous people" mentioned in Romans 1:18-23, specifically those who, despite God's self-revelation, refused to honor Him as God.
• in the lusts of their hearts (ἐν ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις τῶν καρδιῶν αὐτῶν - en tais epithymiais tōn kardiōn autōn):
  • lusts (ἐπιθυμίαις - epithymiais): Strong desires or cravings. While epithymia can be neutral or even positive in other contexts (e.g., strong desire for good), here, framed by God's judgment and leading to "impurity," it explicitly denotes sinful, corrupted passions or cravings.
  • hearts (καρδιῶν - kardiōn): In biblical thought, the heart represents the center of a person's inner being, encompassing their intellect, will, emotions, and moral core. Thus, these are not external compulsions but originate from their very essence, now corrupted.
  • This phrase underscores that God's "giving up" is a judicial permission, not an imposition of desires. He gives them over to what their own sinful hearts already lust after.
• to impurity (εἰς ἀκαθαρσίαν - eis akatharsian):
  • impurity (ἀκαθαρσίαν - akatharsian): Moral uncleanness, defilement, often specifically referring to sexual uncleanness. It signifies a state of moral foulness or defilement that contrasts sharply with the holiness and purity required by God.
  • The preposition eis ("to" or "into") indicates the intended result or state that they are delivered over to. It's the sphere of activity that their lusts lead to.
• to the dishonoring of their bodies (τοῦ ἀτιμάζεσθαι τὰ σώματα αὐτῶν - tou atimazesthai ta sōmata autōn):
  • dishonoring (ἀτιμάζεσθαι - atimazesthai): Present passive infinitive of atimazō, meaning "to dishonor," "to treat contemptuously," "to degrade." This points to acts that degrade or defile the body. The passive voice implies that their bodies are being dishonored, often through their own actions, sometimes by others, reflecting their internal state.
  • bodies (σώματα - sōmata): Refers to the physical person, a vessel intended by God for honorable use and ultimately to glorify Him. Paul often emphasizes the sanctity of the body (1 Cor 6:19-20). The dishonoring of the body directly reflects the dishonoring of the Creator.
  • among themselves: Indicates the prevalence of these impure and dishonoring practices within their community, signifying collective and widespread moral decay.

• Words-group Analysis:
  • "Therefore God gave them up": This powerful phrase indicates God's righteous response to human rejection. It is a divine judicial action, allowing the full ramifications of humanity's turning away from Him to unfold. This is not passive abandonment but an active permission, revealing His wrath by withdrawing His preserving restraints.
  • "in the lusts of their hearts": This specifies how they were given up—not into an external force but into the very corrupt desires they already harbored within. This emphasizes human responsibility for their depravity, as their hearts are the origin point of sin. God does not force sin upon them but removes the restraint that might prevent them from fully pursuing their chosen paths.
  • "to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies": These phrases define the immediate consequences of God's "giving up." They detail the moral degradation that flows from ungodliness. The progression moves from inward lusts to outward impure actions, particularly sexual immorality, which defiles the very physical beings intended to be instruments of God's glory. This demonstrates a clear link between spiritual apostasy and physical corruption, emphasizing that when people dishonor God, they inevitably dishonor themselves and their bodies.

Romans 1 24 Bonus section

The concept of God "giving up" in Romans 1 is a three-fold judicial pronouncement, a crescendo of divine wrath against human rebellion. Romans 1:24 is the first instance (to impurity/sexual perversion), followed by Romans 1:26 (to dishonorable passions/homosexuality), and culminates in Romans 1:28 (to a debased mind/a host of societal evils). This systematic unraveling highlights the interconnectedness of theological error and moral depravity: exchanging the Creator's glory (spiritual idolatry) leads inevitably to impurity and a distorted view of humanity (sexual perversion), which then further descends into a comprehensively "debased mind" capable of all manner of societal evils. This progression reveals the profound truth that ungodliness has severe, escalating, and tangible consequences, divinely permitted to unfold.

Romans 1 24 Commentary

Romans 1:24 introduces the dire consequences of humanity's refusal to acknowledge and worship God as God. The "giving up" by God is a judicial act, not a forced causation of sin, but rather the removal of His restraining grace, allowing humans to fully embrace the desires of their own fallen hearts. This is a profound statement about divine justice: when humanity persistently exchanges the truth of God for idols (spiritual perversion), God permits them to experience the resulting moral degradation, beginning with the realm of sexual impurity. This signifies a just withdrawal of His providential governance that protects against the full extent of sin's corruption.

The descent into "impurity" and the "dishonoring of their bodies" is depicted as an inevitable outcome. Bodies, intended as instruments for honoring God, become objects and vehicles of dishonor when disconnected from their Creator. This points to a deeper theological truth: worship dictates conduct. When God is replaced by creation in one's affections, humanity descends into self-degradation. The "among themselves" highlights the societal dimension, illustrating how spiritual rebellion permeates relationships, fostering a culture of mutual defilement. This verse sets the stage for a spiraling narrative of moral decay that serves to underline humanity's desperate need for God's righteousness found only in the Gospel.